Device for controlling the turrets of automatic lathes



oDMER 2,464,845

E. B DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE TURRETS OF AUTOMATIC LATHES March 22, 1949.

March 22, 1949. E. BODMER 2,464,845

' DEV ICE FOR CONTROLLING THE TURRETS OF AUTOMATIC vLATHES Filed June 18, 1945 5 Sheets-.Sheel'l 2 March 22, w49.

Filed June 18. 1945 E. BODMER DEVI CE FOR CONTROL LING THE TURRETS OF' AUTOMATIC LATHES 5 Sheets- Sheet 3 Sme/nio@ March 22, 1949. E, BODMER 2,464,845

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE TURRETS OF AUTOMATIC LATHES Filed June 18, 1945 l 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 22, 1949. E. BODMER 2,464,845

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE TURRETS OF AUTOMATIC LATHES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 med June 1e, 1945 Patented Mar. 22, 1.949

DEVICE FOR CON TROLLING THE TURRETS F AUTOMATIC LATHES Ernest Bodmer, Grand-Lancy-Geneva, Switzerland Application June 18, 1945, Serial No. 600,117 In Switzerland August 21, 1944 4 Claims. 1

In known automatic lathes, the controlling of the movements of the spindle of the turret-head carrying the tools is effected by cams, having as many cam faces as Ithe turret has work-ing positions. These cams are called pilot cams, since they determine the cycle of all the operations effected by the lathe. In fact, since each of these cams must necessarily make one complete revolution in the course of a :complete cycle of operations, it fixes the dierent phases of operations which the' cycle comprises, since the movements of the tool holders of the turret are made in conjunction with those of the other tool holders, and since, to each working position of the turret, there must correspond an operation effected by a turret tool and other operations effected by the other tools carried by othel` tool holders with which the lathe is fitted. In certain cases, one of the operations, which should be eiected by the turret, cannot be performed, because its tool would come into conict with another tool.

In this case one of the cam faces of the pilot cam has to ybe replaced by a blank circumferential space, and the operation has to be effected as a re-setting operation. The pilot cams are Very difcult to design, since in the case of a turret with six working positions, for example, it should have six cam faces for controlling each of the six tools at the required cutting speed, these six cam faces 'being separated vfrom each other by blank circumferential spaces along circular aics `corresponding to the time necessary for the return of the tools to the position of rest, and for the rotating, that is to say the indexing of the turret. The angular length of a slope added to the adjacent blank circumferential space, corresponds to the duration of one phase of operations of the cycle of operations. The durations of the different phases of operations may differ from each other. It is at once evident, that to obtain certain and precise control of the tools carried by the turret, the pilot cam should be of very large diameter, for example 1 meter. It follows that these cams are extremely costly, heavy and bulky.

Besides that, even when diameters of the order of a meter lcan be used, these cams do not always allow the requisite speed of feed to be obtained for the work in hand. In fact, as long as the angle included between the profile of the cam and the axis of the displacements of the tappet cooperating with this profile is less than 45, there will be some interference. The movement of the tool holder is no longer regular;

2 that is to say, its speed is not uniform. The movement is intermittent, thus making good machining quite impossible. It follows, that in many cases it is necessary to allow a machining time longer than what is really required, and this results in time being lost.

Because of the diiiculty of designing this cam for each different new workpiece, it is this cam which determ-ines all the other operations of the cycle of operations, their sequence and their number, as well as their distribution in the different phases of operations; this is done in order to bring within each phase of operations all the work requiring approximately the same time to execute, and thus to avoid, as far as possible, idle or partly idle times, that is to say, times, lduring which one part only of the tools entering into action in the course of a phase of operations is actually at work.

Certain designers have produced automatic lathes in which the pilot cam is a universal cam, that is to say one whose eifective active lengths may be modified as desired. These cams possess a serious drawback from their basic design. In fact, they only allow movements to be carried out at constant speed, so that they can only be used for machining 4comparatively simple pieces.

Finally, all the cams of a given automatic lathe, which are necessary for mach-ining a given workpiece, constitute a set of cams. All the cams of this set must be designed separately in accordance with the sequence ofthe intended operations, the paths traversed by the tools, the 4speed of their feed per revolution of the spindle, and the admissible cutting speed. Such a set of cams therefore needs very thorough theoretical designing, which must be done by a competent person. This design may require a consderable time. Further, the making of the cams is a diflicult piece of work and needs special machine tools, since the machining of the cam faces require special and accurate work to obtain a drive at constant speed, or at a uniformly increasing speed of the movement of the tool.

Nevertheless, one of the most serious drawbacks of lathes with such cams is that if, when a set of cams is tested, it is found that one of the speeds of the feed of one of the tools or that one of the cutting speeds, is .too high, the whole set of cams must be rejected and its study must be taken up again entirely from the beginning. But during all the time required for calculating and making the new set of cams, which may amount to several days, the lathe remains at rest useless, so that a considerable amount of time is lost.

The subject matter of the present invention is a device for controlling the turret of an automatic lathe itted with a plurality of tool slides, which are moved successively and independently of each other, This device tends to eliminate the cited drawbacks and differs from known devices by the fact that it comprises a control member intended to control the tool slides of the lathe successively, this control member being connected to a sourceof energy by means of a connecting member, which is brought into the working position at the desired moments by means of orders issued by a distributor and-byturret as long as the tool slide has notreturned to the position it originally left.

Another object of the present invention is a control device ofthe kind described above, which comprises devices intended to be actuated by the displacements of a member, actuated bythe control member in such away as to cause the latter to stop after the said tool slide has reached its starting position and4 in which the control member consists of a mechanical member connected mechanically to a motor by meansof a coupling.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a control device for the turret of an automatic lathe, in which the control member consists of a guide-screw, actuated in one sense of rotation or in the other sense by a reversing device.

Furthermore the lathe may also be provided with control members which use electromagnets, Whose energising circuits are controlled by cir-l cuit-breakers actuated by thedistributor andrby members displaced by the guide-screw.

Further, the rotation orindexing of the turret may be controlled by an auxiliary Shaft, which is connected to the motor by a coupling andwhich comprises an interlocking device causing engager ment of the two parts of thel said coupling" after the tool slide has returned toits starting position.

Still another object of the inventionfis' a control device of the kind -described above, in which the guide-screw is actuated by meansY of a change-speed device, whose members, determin- 'F ing the speedk of actuation ofthe guide-screw during the working stroke, are set in position by aselector device while the turret is rotating.

The accompanying drawings show by way of example the Vdiagram of connections between the v distributor, and` the lathe-v fortwo Aembodiments of the present invention.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate oneform of execution diagrammatically;

Fig` 5 illustrates a second form of execution diagrammatically.

In the form shown in Figs. l to 4, the sourcel of energy is provided .by al motor Mand the, control member is a guide-screwvC, Motor M is driven by a three phase source of supply havingiphase terminals W, S, U, on a master circuit breaker IC: which can be actuated by` an electro-magnet E4. An electro-mechanical actuating` device is provided to set into working position theconnectf ing member, which consists of a coupling. This actuated device comprises a distributor D issuing orders in the form of impulses of electric current. There exists a large number of typesiof devices which can be used i asfsenders or control sta:- tions and which can be utilised and adapted to emit such electric impulses. In principle, such a sender should simply allow the transmission of an electric current in one or several electric circuits at denitely determined instants, and at intervals of time which can be adjusted as desired. Every known device can be used. In the form 0f the device Shown n,Eie.s -,1.tc 4, a rotary distributorfD is used, consisting of annular menibers I driven by a shaft 2 which is connected to the motor M by means of transmission members. Each of these annular members carries a graduated scale 3, which moves with respect to a. mark 4, made on a -disc 5, rigidly connected to the shaft 2. Each annular member is provided with a notch 6. An operating member 'I rests on the periphery of each of these annular members. Thisioperating member is subjected to the action ota spring (not shown), which makes the member'l.- swing over when a notch passes under its end. This movement o f the member 'I causes a circuit-br ca kerr IC todclose, this circuit-breaker controllingelectric circuits which are described later.

Since such a distributor forms the subject matter or my. co-pending patent application Serial No. 600,115 filed June 18, 1945, it is unf necessary to ,enterinto further details here.

The turret R is of the polygonal drum type with horizontal axis. Each face of the turret carries a principal tool `slide RC rigidly connected by a bar 8 to an auxiliary slide 9, Each of these latter slides carrieson its'outer face an actuating member I 0, the positionoiwhich can be adjusted.

InfFigs. 1 tov 4, the particular tiuret show n is o f the kind described inl a co-pending patent application Serial No, 600,116, led June 18, 1946; and will therefore not be described more in detail here. Any other type or kind of turret with inde-` pendentslides or spindles could be controlled by the device which will now be described.

VThe tool. slidesk are actuated successively and independently ofV each other by the control member which is constitutedby the guide screw C; connected mechanically to amotor4 by means of auseries of transmission members comprising at least:

(a) A device for reversing the direction of rotationoi guide screw C;

(b) A connecting device;

(c) A change-speed device V.

Thereversing devicewconsists ofr'a crown wheel I5; freely mounted on a shaft 25' and engaging with two 'pinions` Il, I il,l freely mounted on a shaft I9',l connected mechanically to the guide screw C: This sha'ft'ml fis" driven bythe speed regulator or speed changedevice' V and by means-ora double coupling,` whose n xed parts a and b are each rigidlyfcon nectedM to one of the pinions I1 I8 and whose movable part c slides on the, shaft I9. The displacements,ofY the movable. partA c are controlledby, an electromagnet E1, whose energizing circuit, comprises several circuit breakers described` later.V

Inheformi.embodiment represented; Figs- 1 to 4,` the movablapart c has only two-stable positions, one` inwhichitis in engagementwith the part a, and the otherlinwhich it is in engagementwith thev partb. ItiolloWs that, for permittingthe guide screw C to lbe put into rotation andA to be stopped-l at any desired instant, a coupling d--e is regu-ired.V Nevertheless, in a modification-ofthedescribed device, it would be possible to dispense Vwith this coupling d--e and to provide' a third stable-position of the part c,

in which it would be disengaged from the part a las well as from the part b.

The movable part d of the coupling df-e slides on the shaft 25 on which a gear wheel 26, rigidly connected to the part e is freely mounted. This gear Wheel 28 is in mesh with a second gear wheel 21 which is rotated, at the desired speed, by the speed-change device V. The displacements of this movable part d are controlled by an electromagnet E2, whose energizing circuit includes several circuit-breakers, which will be described later.

The shaft 25 carries, at one of its ends, one part f of a safety coupling, whose other part gis rigidly connected to the crown wheel l5. This coupling is of the type which limits the torque that can be transmitted. For this purpose, the part f slides on the end of the shaft 25 and is urged by the action of a spring 28, which tends to keep it in engagement with the part g. When the torque to be transmitted exceeds a certain value, the part f is pushed against the action of the spring 28 and slides on the shaft 25 out of engagement with the coupling part g. This part f carries a plate cam 28 which, when it is pushed against the force of the spring 28, causes, by means of a chain of transmission members, a safety circuit-breaker IS to come into action. The actuating of this circuit-breaker causes the following elements to be electrically energized:

(a) An alarm signal A (audible or visible).

(b) An electromagnet E4, controlling the opening of a master circuit-breaker IG connecting the m'otor M to a three wire supply system U. S. W.

(c) The opening of the energizing circuits of the electromagnets E1, E2, E3.

There is therefore an immediate stoppage of all the operating parts of the lathe.

Finally, in the form shown, and in order to reduce the idle or non-cutting time, the shaft 25 can be driven at an increased speed during the idle periods. For this purpose, it has gear-wheels S8, 6l, driven by the change-speed device V and turning the shaft 25 by means of a'coupling z-yl The movable part z' of this coupling slides on the shaft 25 and its displacements are controlled by an electromagnet Es.

The energising circuits of the electromagnets E1, E2, E3 and E4 have three bipolar andsix unipolar circuit-breakers.

These circuit-breakers are the following:

(a) The safety circuit-breaker IS, comprising two blades 48, 4I and three contacts 42, 43, 44. The contact 42 is connected to the supply line U, and the contacts 43, 44 to the supply line S, one through the signal A and the other through the electromagnet E4;

(b) Six unipolar circuit-breakers IC actuated by distributor D, arranged in parallel to each other and connected on the one hand to the contact 42 of the safety circuit-breaker IS and on the other hand to the poles of a bipolar circuitbreaker II;

(c) The bipolar circuit-breaker II has two blades 45 and 45, one of them, 45, connected electrically to a contact 42 and the other, 46, mounted in series with the circuit-breakers IC. The blade 45 can be placed either on 'a contact 41, connected to the supply line S by the Winding of electromagnet E1, or on a contact 48, connected to the supply line S by the winding of electromagnet E3. The blade 4G can be placed either on a contact connected electrically to a contact 58 of a reversing switch IV or on a dead contact (not shown). f

(d) The reversing switch IV has two blades 5| and 52. In one of the positions of this switch, the blade 5I connects electrically the contacts 49 and 48 of the circuit-breaker II, while in the other position of this reversing switch, its blade 52 connects electrically the contact 41 to the winding of electromagnet Ez by means of a contact 53.

The movements of the bipolar circuit-breakers II and IV are controlled by the displacements of the principal tool slides RC.

In fact, the guide screw C controls the movements of a principal tool slide RC by means of a long nut 38, carrying a roller 3l, intended to come into engagement successively with each of the control members I8, carried on each of the auxiliary slides 9, each of which is rigidly connected respectively to a slide RC. This nut 38 carries also a linger 32 for actuating the circuitbreaker II at the end of the working stroke and at the end of the return stroke of the nut 3i).

The circuit-breaker IV is actuated by a nger 34, carried on each lof the principal slides RC (for the sake of simplicity, only one finger is shown in the drawing).

Finally, the positioning of the various members of the change-speed device V, determining the speed of the displacements of the nut 38 and therefore of the actuated slide RC, is controlled by a selector device, consisting of operating stops 35 carried by a drum 36, which is rigidly connected to the turret R.

The displacements of the swinging or sliding members of the change-speed device are controlled by levers 81, actuated by the stops 35 during rotation or indexing of the turret. The positions of these operating stops can be adjusted longitudinally by any known device.

The described device operates as follows:

I. Setting the guide-screw C in action (Fig. 1)

When all the slides RC are in their positions of rest, the various circuit-breakers and members of the device occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1.

The master circuit-breaker IG being closed, the motor M is energized and causes the distributor D and the change-speed device V to rotate.- When a notch 8 on an annular member of distributor D passes under the end of a control member 1, the latter is urged into the notch under the influence of its spring, and the control circuit-breaker with which it is associated, is thus caused to close.

'Ihen the electromagnet E1 is energized over the circuit U, IG, 48, 42, IC, 45, 41, II, E1, S the electromagnet E3 is energized over the circuit U, IG, 48, 42, IC, 49, 5I, 58, E3, S.

The energizing of electromagnet E1 causes engagement of the parts c and a of the double coupling and thus operation of the guide-screw C, through action of the crown wheel l5 and the pinion I1.

The energizing of electromagnet E3 causes engagement of the two parts of the clutch i-y', thus setting the guide-screw C in rotation at an increased speed.

The nut 38 is then displaced at 'increased speed along the guide-screw C and when its roller 3l comes into engagement with the actuating member I8 of auxiliary slide 9, it drives, at an increased speed towards the left in the drawing,

, Firflally. a little! be'flz,... position,A the" nut'30, by 'm'eans' of "'a A, After e certain oispiaenent offftnis 'principal tool slide RC, (a displacement, which isfslightly less than the idle stroke necessary ,tobringqtzhe tool, which it carries, into the longitudinal posif tion to machine the workpiece), the linger 34 ,l actuates circuit-,breaker IV, which move'snfrom `the position shown in Fig. 1 to that, Vshvovvnmin Fig. 2. For this position of the circuit-breaker vIY, the energizing circuit of, electromagnetEs is l`opened at contacts 5I,` 50 and hencethe movable parti is disengaged from its fixed part j by the action of a spring` 39,-., Onthe other hand, electromagnetA E2 is electically, energized by closing I of contacts 52, 53. As showny in Fig. 2, thcelectromagnet E1 remains energized, so that the guide-2 screw C continues to be driven in the same sense. On the other hand, energizing `electrnnagnetz has caused engagement of` the two parts ofv the =coupling cZ-f-e and the rotating of the guide-screw c at a speed corresponding to that defined bythe positions of the adjustable orsliding` members of the change-speed device V, determined bythe operating stops 35. From thisinstant, the distributor can ccntrolthe opening of the circuitbreaker IC, becausethe electromagnets EtJand E2 remain energized through contacts 42, 45, 41,

'111. Stopping at the end of the working Stroke cmd returning to the startingposztion (Fig. 3)

. A`At the end of the working stroke ofthe selected magnet` El being no longer energized, a spring causes disengagement of thejclutch parts ,cv-a and the engagement of the' clutch parts vcfib of the double coupling, and thereforethe "driving of the guide-screw C inthe contrary,senseVv or'op- .po'site direction by means of crown 'wheel I`5 andj pinion I 8.

The energizing of electromagnet'lEs' c'auses, as

f "described above,the actating'atj increa's'edfspeed 'l of the 'guide-screw C.' ,It followsfthat the'nut 39 and theprincipal toolis'lidefRC are returnedhack at an increased spe'e'dfintojthestarting' position. `During its travel, the'i'nger 34 actuatestlie' cir- `cuit-breaker IV, whichagain takes upftvhewposi- .'tion shownin Fig. 1,. Nevertheless, thijs'v y'iisfplace- ,ment has no eifectffsincethe' circuit through con;

tact 5B is interrupted at contacts" 46, 49,

IV. Stopping and* turret rotation When the princip aln tool 'slide RC reaches Istop H ,whose position is adjustable, the roller 3l 'leaves the actuating member m.' Fine11y,xv1terrtnenit turn to the position' 'sliown iri,Fig fLffFrc "'that being energized, the driving anddriven' parts of o `8 i i''gsffit'o elettori the devieeffor'roteting'the turret. Since lthis device is descrlbedin my copend :frog ep'piieation serial No. 600,116, med June 1s, 1945, itV will not be" described here. When the1 operation of rotating the turret j fromv ooe-position to the next position has been c'Qrnpleted, the whole device'is ready for a new operation, controlled by' another annual member L, of thedistnbutoif n. 'one possible embodiment could provide a circuit-breaker in series with'the "Vcircuit-'breakersIC in the energizing circtiit'- of electromagnet E3, which circuit-breaker would-be y'controlled by the vdevice for rotating the turret or the indexing device of the turret in such away as to prevent the energizing of electromagnet-Ez as long as the rotation of the turret had not been completed.

Nevertheless, such an interlocking arrangement V would cause a vuseless waste of time, and this is why, in the device here shown, the device for rotating the turret acts in such a way that the y time requiredV for rotating the turret is less than 'the time required to move the nut v3l), at increased speed, from its starting position until its roller 3| cornes into contact with the actuating mer'nbei'll 0.

Thus the certainty of functioning is automatically ensured and all idletime is eliminated. L Finally, while the turret is rotating, the drum 35,'Mby means of its operating stops, causes' 'the members of the change-speed device to be set in position in such a waythat the guide-screw is driven at the speed Arequired for obtaining the speed of displacement desired for the work which "hasto be effected by the tool carried by the principal tool slide RC, kept in Working position.

From the above andgby reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be noted at once that the operationseiect'ed by the tools carried by the turretY can be'perfrmed at any desiredmoment in'the course of the cycle of machiningoperations provided for the manufacture of a work- In pe'nticular, these operations must-not "necessarily benitedwiththos'e effected by other "'toolsftte'd on the lathe, but' be performed whenever there is no longer any danger of collision be- 4tween'ftwomembers of the lathe. It is'easy to understand, thatthis possibility givesverygreat liberty in outlining the prog'ram'for' machining a workpiece and thus anappreciable saving of time 0i in' machining a'v given workpiece.

In addition, since each disc of ythefdistributor can beV keyed on the shaft 2 in any desired' angul lar position, it is easy to understand that this distributor at l'once allows every desired operation to be controlled, and this "without requiring "the change offany cam, butsimply byadjustlng the angular positions of the discs 5.

One canwithoutianydificulty' fit," on'one or several principal tool slides RC, an 'accessory transverse'slide, whose movements would be conl' fftrolled by a controlmember and by Ameans of an c actuating member,'whichposition may be'adinsrtable-I v'I his controlmember could, in a man- 65 l 3B attains its initial starting position'thenger 32 causes the circuit-bre aker YINI to operate'andu rener similar to the control member C, be 'connected mechanically to the motor M bymean's of a .'chan'gelspeed gear 'and a coupling member',"whose 'setting `into active'position would be controlled I x Y "if by "a v'control' device; similar to that'described moment, neither of the electromagnetsj E2 nd E3 the two clutches d-ejand i--j areilfreptl` out of engagementby the spring 3Q,"and"'the"'guide below.

- vIt is evident that'the actuating memberl of "afprincipal tool 'slide RC or of an accessory` slide l may, as shown in the drawing, be constituted by afrectangular groove, but 'may' also consist by a'guideorspaclal'shapddesigned inorder to ob- Y 5715;"tain" s'om" desired" displacement, a" movement at variable speed, a reciprocating movementfor any other desired movement.

One understands from this, that the control device described allows every kind of machining to be carried out, such as grinding, slotting, bearings before and after a collar, etc.

In the modiiied form of embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the control member C is constituted by a bell cam, actuated by a motor M and by means of a change-speed device V. The bell cam C is set in rotation by control signals sent by a distributor D (not shown), similar to that described with reference tc Figs. 1-4. This distributor, by means of a control device similar to that already described above, causes the engagement of the parts of a coupling lc-Z connecting the bell cam to the change-speed device V. This form of execution is simpler, since it does not require any device for reversing the direction of rotation of the control member, and since it is not necessary to provide devices to allow the control member to be driven at increased and reduced speeds. In fact, the speeds of displacement of the 'pushrod 'l0 are determined by the shape of the bell cam.

Nevertheless, it is evident that if it is desired' to have the possibility of obtaining a very great speed of displacement of the tool slides, one may provide a control device similar to that described with reference to Figs. 1 4 and having two couplings connecting the guide-screw to the motor, one for actuating it at an increased speed, the other for actuating it at a reduced speed or at the desired working speed.

It is evident that the distributor D may cause the coupling member to be set in active position either by means of an electro-mechanical control device, or by a mechanical control device similar, for example, to the one described in my co-pending patent application Serial No. 600,112 filed June 18, 1945, or by a pneumatic or hydraulic control device. In the last case, the electromagnets described above may be replaced by servomotors, operating the movable parts of the couplings, while the circuit-breakers and reversing switches may be replaced by slide-valves, connected to a source of fluid under pressure and controlling admission to and discharge from the servomotors.

Finally, the control member may be a motor member (electric or pneumatic), set in movement by orders sent by the distributor D. In this case, the coupling member may be a member such as a circuit-breaker or a slide-valve, allowing the control member to be connected to a source of energy, which may be an electric supply system or a fluid under pressure.

I claim:

1. In a lathe, the combination of a rotatably indexible turret comprising a rotary member of polygonal cross sections, a plurality of principal tool carrying slides carried on said member, each of said slides being mounted thereon individually slidably along a face of said rotary member, auxiliary slides rigidly connected respectively to said tool carrying slides, actuating members fastened to each of said auxiliary slides respectively, a principal control member for displacing in turn each of said principal tool carrying slides by means of said actuating members, rotating driving means, a speed change device driven by said driving means, a settable primary coupling interconnecting a first speed of said speed change device and said principal control member, a distributor, means driven by said driving means to member, a motion reversing control member actuated by said first actuatingT member, auxiliary setting means controlled by said motion reversing control member, a motion reversing device controlled by said auxiliary setting means and adapted to reverse the direction of motion of said principal control member, actuating fingers respectively fastened to said principal tool carrying slides, a speed change control switch actuated by each of said fingers, secondary setting means controlled by said speed change'control switch, a secondary coupling controlled by said secondary setting means and interconnecting ay second speed of said speed control device and'said 4 principal control member, said reversing device being interposed between said principal control' member and said primary or said secondary coupling, anvindeXing control means for controlling the rotation of said rotary member, an engaging auxiliary member controlled by said principal control member, a locking device controlled by said engaging member for causing the rotation of said rotary member when the actuated slide reaches its rest position, and interlocking means arranged for preventing the setting into closed position of said primary coupling as long as the actuated principal slide is out of its rest position.

2. In an automatic turret lathe, a turret having slideways, tool holder slides mounted in said slideways, a worm, a nut threadely carried by said worm and comprising a first projecting finger, individual engaging means carried by each of said slides and mounted separately for engagement with said finger as said nut moves along said worm, a reversing gear mounted for reversibly rotatably driving said worm, a rotating motor, speed change means for deriving from said motor two rotating motions of different speeds, a pair of selectively actuable individual means for selectively connecting said reversing gear to either one of said two derived motions, a program actuator driven by said motor, means associated with said program actuator and said individual connecting means for actuating either of said connecting means, a second finger carried by said nut, and interrupting means interposed between said actuator and said connecting means and actuable by engagement with said second nger and movement of said nut into the position corresponding to the extreme rest position of said slide for preventing a shift from one said connecting means to the other while said slide is in a position other than its extreme rest position, and means actuable by movement of said nut into the position corresponding to the extreme rest position of said slide for thereupon causing reversal of said reversing gear.

3. In an automatic turret lathe, a turret having slideways, tool holder slides mounted in said slideways, a worm, a nut threadely carried by said worm and comprising a first projecting finger, individual engaging means carried by each of said slides and mounted separately for engagement with said finger as said nut moves along said worm, a reversing gear mounted for reversibly rotatably driving said worm, a rotating electric motor, speed-change means for deriving from said motor two rotating motions of different speeds', 'a pair of selectively actuatabl'eindividuall clutches for. selectively connecting said'reversin'g f gear to either one of said two derived "motions,

a rstand a second electromagneticmeansfor' respectivelyclosing each said clutchyaiprogram switch driven by said motor, a second ngercarriedlby said nut, electrical switchmeans havin'gf an actuating element and mountedfor actuationby engagement of said second nger withsaid' actuating element and by movement of said nutV intothe position correspondingv to the extreme rest position, of said slide.' and electrical connec-y tions between said program switchjandsaid3v switch meansan'd said first "and second-electromagnetic means for selectively connecting forI energization' one and only one at a time of saidl first and second electromagnetic means and-for changing the energizing connection from thefone to the other of said electromagnetic; means'- when said secondjrnger actuates said` switch.

means, third electromagnetic means for 4caus- 1ngreversa1 of sa'idreversing gear, and elec' trical connectionsnbetween said switchmeans'v`v andsaidthird electromagnetic means for enerf' gizing said thirdV electromagnetic; meansjwl'le'nl' said second finger actuates saidA switch means. 4. A lathe according to claim 3, and overload 1-2 torquelactuatablecontrol `means l interposed -tbetweeny said clutches and saidreversing gear, aux;- iliary electric switch-meansactuatable by actuation ofsaid control means,rafourth electromag- 5T- neticmean'sf-for opening the supply circuit of said motor, and connections between `said auxiliaryv switchmeansandsaid rst, second, third, and

fourth: electromagneticl means for de-energizin'g,` andv opening all four said electromagnetic means: l0l' upon actuation of saidfauxiliary switch means 

